This summer the gas tank in my 1963 Hawk dropped down on the right side due to the mount bracket having pulled out of the trunk floor because of the mounting surface rusting through. This was not because of road salt corroding it (it's a CA car), but because the trunk lid leaks water beyond the weatherstripping. The weatherstripping is like new, but I find water standing on the trunk floor after I wash the car and this standing water is what rusted the recessed area of the floor that the gas tank mounts to. So check this area of your floor so that you don't unexpectedly have your gas tank fall out like mine did.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2508/4107719281_9d5c2f730a.jpg This shows the large hole where a mount should be bolted to. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/4108486664_005dfed636.jpg This is the rusty chunk that fell out and remained attached to the gas tank bracket. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/4107723357_9a54a11ac5.jpg This is the hole after I cut the rusted steel away with a cutting wheel on a small hand grinder. The four black markings are to help me locate where the center of the bolt hole will be. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/4108492844_d2359bba5f.jpg This is the patch I began making out of 18 GA steel with a pocket to replicate the original piece. I used a flat head body hammer to force the metal down into the recession that I milled into a piece of firewood. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/4107725339_71a595139a.jpg This is the piece of firewood that I took and marked out dimensions that I measured from the original piece. I set the router to mill 1/2" deep and followed my markings.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2692/4107729589_0e1256ffa5.jpg I followed up with a utility knife to bevel the edge to replicate the inside form of the original piece. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4107731835_8b887c8364.jpg After drilling a clearance hole for a 3/8" bolt, I bolted the tank to the patch so that the weight of the nearly full gas tank would hold down the patch tight to the trunk floor so that I could weld it. I used the black markings to locate the bracket before welding.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2673/4108499084_01f023f585.jpg Removed bolt, ground down the weld, wire brushed it, and then primed and painted it. After the paint cured, I installed a new bolt and put a rubber spacer between the bottom side of the patch and the gas tank bracket and tightened it. I need to get a spray can of undercoating yet and undercoat the bottom side of the repaired area. I would be happy to loan my piece of firewood to anybody, but I need to burn it to heat my house & garage. [8D]

Excellent repair! I would never have tackled that process, or even thought of it! Of course, part of it is that I have zero ability with wood[xx(] My likely course would have been to set about finding a donor piece from somebody's parts car.

Great thinking and great repair!http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/cool/cool0020.gif

Nice work. Remove your gasket and lay some linerless rubber splicing tape in the channel to raise the gasket up a bit higher in the channel. At least 1 to 2 times for whatever desired thickness you require for shimming. Keeps the water out of my trunk. Stuff is available in a couple different widths from electrical supply stores. You may have to trim it depending on what width is available to you. Mine was 2 inch but it comes in either 3/4 or 1 inch also. Made by Scotch. the 3M people.{SCOTCH 130C Linerless Rubber Splicing Tape} Glue your gasket over top of this stuff. jimmijim

Stude Junkie+++++++Do it right the f$$$$ Time. Never mind. Just do it right. When youre done your done. You'll know it.

gordr

11-16-2009, 08:53 AM

Excellent work, Brent, and well-documented, too. Like Bams, I'd probably have robbed a similar depression from a parts car to do the job. Don't own a router.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

sweetolbob

11-16-2009, 09:59 AM

Brent

A nicely done, well documented repair. What you have shown is a great way to form metal. I have a lot of pieces of oak around for just this purpose. Bailed me out a couple of times with the 54K. Don't forget a bag of sand for less critical forming.

Gord, Don't need a router, just a set of wood chisels. However, the router really helps.

Thanks for the kind words fellas. Thanks for the tip on shimming up the weatherstripping, Jim. That may be all it needs to keep water out. As for the piece that rusted out, I actually looked at this thing before it broke out but thought it was okay being that it felt solid. Actually it was very solid....hard solid rust which isnt flexible, and thats why it broke after a 350 mile trip to the Cedar Rapids show this summer. Luckily a temporay fix got me back home.

Brent,thanks for the acknowledgment of my tip. And thanks for your technical posting. It's nice to know that a members input is appreciated and taken under consideration. With or without a request for help, too many times I have offered, as others have also, what I had thought to be very good information {whether it is our own or gleaned from somewhere else} to folks on the forum. Whether asked for or not or I or others just plain try. to help. A lot of times tips go without a reciprocal thank you for a responder's efforts. Even a F@#% off, mind your own business, would to me better than a thankless non effort by a recipient. Put it this way. A little more courtesy by some towards each other when sharing info and acknowledgement of such so as not to be taken for granted, wouldn't be overkill here. Some need to act like they have some fetching up. The same should go for the act of part sourcing and supplying. Thank you's and other courtesys contribute to the strength of a Brotherhood. jimmijim

Stude Junkie+++++++Do it right the f$$$$ Time. Never mind. Just do it right. When youre done your done. You'll know it.

TedsHawk

11-17-2009, 08:08 AM

Looks good, that happened to my Hawk to, bolt pulled right threw the floor. (very embarrassing) but I didn't do as pretty a job of repairing it. I was surprised that Classic Enterprises dosn't make a piece for that. They make it as part of the whole trunk floor but not separate (unless I missed it) seems like a common repair

1957 Golden Hawk
"Studebaker? they dont make them anymore"

MARSHALLR

11-17-2009, 11:02 AM

Nice repair and great instructions.The tip that Jimmijimm 8 posted is perfect timing as I am in the process of shimming the trunk weatherstrip on my 1956 Power Hawk.Ihave linerless spliceing tape but,I had not thought of using it for shimming.Thanks to all!

52-fan

11-17-2009, 11:29 AM

This info needs to be saved so others can refer to it. Good pictures and explanation.
This was what I had planned to do to repair the floor of the Daytona where it bolts to the trans cross member, but as of yesterday that is now Ozarkmans problem.

Nice work. Remove your gasket and lay some linerless rubber splicing tape in the channel to raise the gasket up a bit higher in the channel. At least 1 to 2 times for whatever desired thickness you require for shimming. Keeps the water out of my trunk. Stuff is available in a couple different widths from electrical supply stores. You may have to trim it depending on what width is available to you. Mine was 2 inch but it comes in either 3/4 or 1 inch also. Made by Scotch. the 3M people.{SCOTCH 130C Linerless Rubber Splicing Tape} Glue your gasket over top of this stuff. jimmijim

Jim, how about posting this in a new thread with it's own title, something like "Trunk gasket shimming"? It would be good for others doing a search for this info in the future!

Bob,I am challenged when it comes to computer stuff. Basically I can surf, buy and sell on e-bay. Do e-mail, and purchase from Jegs and Summit's websites. If you will, you are welcome to move it. thank you jimmijim

Stude Junkie+++++++Do it right the f$$$$ Time. Never mind. Just do it right. When youre done your done. You'll know it.

warrlaw1

11-19-2009, 12:48 PM

Bams, that sounds like a line in a rap tune. "Don't be shimmin no trunk gaskets, homey!" My apologies to Jimjim

ozarkman

11-19-2009, 02:38 PM

quote:Originally posted by 52-fan

This info needs to be saved so others can refer to it. Good pictures and explanation.
This was what I had planned to do to repair the floor of the Daytona where it bolts to the trans cross member, but as of yesterday that is now Ozarkmans problem.